Felucca Plutón Explained

Display Title:Felucca Plutón
Ship Ownwer:Ors y García
Ship Caption:Felucca Plutón
Ship Country:Spain
Ship Name:Plutón
Ship Ordered:1835
Ship Builder:Arenys de Mar ship yard (Spain)

The Felucca Plutón was a very notable boat for its performance.[1] [2] [3] [4] Built in Arenys de Mar, she was of the type "elastic felucca".[5]

She used to navigate as a coast guard ("maritime guard")[6] based in Benidorm.[7]

Nautical features

The performances of the Plutón, from a nautical point of view, were highlighted by Lieutenant Pedro Riudavets.[8] This expert Menorcan navigator translated a treatise on sail construction (Sails and Sailmaking by Robert Kipping),[9] adding many aspects about lateen sails that were not included in the original: Elements of sail construction.[10] [11]

Regarding the Plutón, Riudavets stated that it was one of the best feluccas built on the Catalan coast; He even indicated the proportions of the hull and rig that allowed such outstanding results. Basically good speed and great upwind ability (close-hauled angle: 4.5 quarters). Riudavets' dedication and interest in "maritime safety" vessels seems demonstrated by his donation of three models to the Naval Museum.[12]

Dimensions

The dimensions indicated in the table are based on the dimensions that appear in the reference work, originally published in Burgos feet (1 Burgos foot = 0.278635 m).[13] The importance of this unit of measurement in shipbuilding lies in the big amount of official documents about ships using the unit.[14] [15]

MeasurementsBurgos feetMeters
Length7821.06
Width23.56,345
Strut7.41,998
Main mast7921.33
Mizzenmast5514.85
Boom53.0414.32
Mizzen-sheet-puller42.911.58
Main lateen yard132.635.80
Mizzen lateen yard71.619.33
Main yard lower end74.8820.22
Main yard upper piece105.3028.43
Mainmast draft below deck82.16
Mizzen mast draft61.62
Distance of the mainmast forward of center20.54
Distance of mizzenmast aft of center3.49.19
Inside the bowsprit102.7
Interior of the coaster61.62
Angle of the mainmast with the vertical18°
Mizzen mast angle aft
Angle of the boom with the horizontal15°

Professional tasks

The handling of the Plutón as a customs ship was carried out by a company from Benidorm, Ors y García, founded in 1835 under the orders of Gaspar Ortuño.[16] In 1844 the Plutón belonged to the Spanish Navy.

Types of feluccas

In the 19th and 20th centuries there were two types of feluccas: utilitarian feluccas (intended for ordinary transport) and fast feluccas called elastics (intended for coast guard functions,[17] privateering, smuggling and important transport). The elastic feluccas had finer lines, greater sail area and more slender sail shapes. The following images show two felucca-rigged boats still underway. Regarding the shapes and rigging, they could be considered utilitarian feluccas. Plutón was 21 meters long.

Notes and References

  1. Book: de Navarrete, M.F.. Diccionario marítimo español. Imprenta real. 1831. 1-PA272. es. 2024-07-06.
  2. Book: Reguart, A.S.. Diccionario histórico de los artes de la pesca nacional. la viuda de Don J. Ibarra. 1792. 296. es. 2024-07-06. v. 3.
  3. http://moll.mandevila.eu/falutx DCVB:Falutx
  4. Web site: Optimot. Consultes lingüístiques. 2024-07-01. Llengua catalana. ca.
  5. Book: Reguart, A.S.. Diccionario histórico de los artes de la pesca nacional. la viuda de Don J. Ibarra. 1792. 296. es. 2024-07-02. v. 3.
  6. Book: Bové, F.. Proyecto de reglamento para el resguardo marítimo español. 1855. 5. es. 2024-07-01.
  7. Web site: Contrabando y vigilancia. 2024-07-01.
  8. Web site: Riudavets y Tuduri, Pedro Biografia. 2024-07-02. Todoavante.es. es.
  9. Book: Kipping, R.. Sails and Sailmaking. Lockwood. 1887. 978-5-87664-849-5. Weale's rudimentary scientific and educational Series. 2024-07-02.
  10. Book: Elementos de construccion de velas: Hauptbd. Kipping. R.. Tudury. P.R.. Imp. de T.Fortanet. 1860. 332. es. 2024-07-02.
  11. Book: Elementos de construccion de velas (bvpb.mcu.es). Kipping. R.. Tudury. P.R.. Fortanet. 1860. es. 2024-07-05.
  12. Book: Museo Naval. Catálogo descriptivo de los objebtos que contiene el Museo Naval. Impr.de Luie Beltrán. 1862. 167. es. 2024-07-01.
  13. Web site: Vocabulario del comercio medieval. 2024-07-02. Página Principal. es.
  14. Book: Nicieza, G.. Leones del mar: La Real Armada española en el siglo XVIII. EDAF. 2022. 978-84-414-4155-2. Clío. Crónicas de la historia. 88. es. 2024-07-06.
  15. Book: Llovet, J.. Constructors navals de l'ex-província marítima de Mataró. 1816-1875. Caixa d'Estalvis Laietana. 1971. Premi Iluro. 20. ca. 2024-07-02.
  16. Web site: Todo a babor. 2022-10-13. Gaspar Ortuño y el falucho Plutón. 2024-06-30. Todo a babor. es.
  17. Book: Diccionario geográfico-estadístico-histórico de España y sus posesiones de ultramar. Madoz. P.. Madoz. P.S.. La Ilustración (Madrid). Est. Literario-Tipográfico de P. Madoz y L. Sagasti. 1846. 597. es. 2024-07-06. v. 3.